As a long term TI3 player, I was pretty surprised when a question about bombardment came up last game and I assumed it worked the same. But apparently, unless I'm missing stuff, in TI4 you can now:

1) Bombard without invading with both War Suns and Dreadnoughts (or other units with Bombardment).

2) You don't have to decide how many troops before you have resolved the bombardments.

That's quite a boost.

Was perhaps surpised, as I haven't seen this mentioned in the "what's new" threads

Never thought about it, but now when reading the rules for TI3 and TI4, it seems that you are right, it surprised me!

This is indeed definitely the case.

Move us into low orbit and power batteries! !!!

Now if only you can convert a planet to neutral.